Story byThe Joplin Globe, Mo. The Joplin Globe, Mo. Thu, January 29, 2026 at 11:39 PM UTC·2 min readThe name for the second collegiate league baseball team in Joplin was announced Thursday. The Joplin Jailbirds will begin play in the MINK League this summer, with games to kick off May 29 on the road, followed by a home opener June 2. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe team mascot will be a bluebird — Missouri’s state bird — and the team announcement said the name pays tribute to Joplin's "Wild West past" and the bluebird symbolizes "pride, resilience and hometown roots."“We wanted a name that was catchy, fun and had some tie into the history of Joplin,” Donovan Harns, general manager of the Jailbirds, said in a statement. “It is unique, it is fun, and it gives us a brand that fans can immediately connect with. We wanted something that honored the past while creating excitement for the future, and this does exactly that.”The Jailbirds will play at Wendell Redden Stadium in Joplin. David Schmoll, co-owner of the Joplin Jailbirds, said in a statement: “This team is about more than baseball.
